


Old and Overworked (Okay, Maybe Not That Old)

by jojosiewa



Series: MCYT Short Stories [7]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), The Crafting Dead
Genre: CDC, Headaches & Migraines, M/M, Oneshot, Stress, Zombie Apocalypse, lovey dovey gushy shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-23 00:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19139725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jojosiewa/pseuds/jojosiewa
Summary: Two forty-something year olds have major crushes on each other and they both know it.





	Old and Overworked (Okay, Maybe Not That Old)

**Author's Note:**

> [my fallout discord! only if u want uwu](https://discord.gg/8ueMBam)

“Wrap it up for tonight, Jin, get some rest,” Professor Xavier said, still staring into a microscope. His vision went blurry for a moment and as he stood up straight a jolt of pain shot through his head, from around his eyes to his temples to his forehead and then everywhere. He winced, and Jin held out a hand.

“You alright X?” he asked, his voice soft. Xavier brushed it off and pushed Jin away from the table.

“Go, you need sleep, I can finish up here for tonight. I don’t want you pulling all-nighters, you’re even worse than me,” Xavier urged, and he flashed Jin a smile, ignoring the pain pulsing in his skull. “Get out of here. Go.” He shooed Jin away and turned back to the microscope. He took the slide out with shaking hands and ignored Jin when he asked again.

“Xavier, this is an important project, I’m willing to stay as long as it takes, I’ll help you out,” Jin resumed his position next to Xavier and went to grab a new microscope slide. “I just need to look at the-”

“I’ll do it.” Xavier grabbed Jin’s wrist, staring him down with a knowing look. “You, are going to get out.” He dragged his scrawny junior towards the door of the lab, opening it and leaning against it. He pushed Jin outside. “I’m officially shooing you from the premises. Go! Go!”

“You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not my dad,” Jin hissed, but it was all in good fun. He straightened his coat and took a deep breath. “If there’s anything you need me for, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Just go, kid.” Xavier waved Jin off as he turned and walked away, flashing his middle finger over his shoulder and stumbling down the hall and around the corner. Xavier sighed and walked back into the lab, the door slamming shut a bit too loud for his head. He made his way across the lab to the walker cages and he stood in between two of them, back pressed firmly against the wall. The walkers inside them groaned and pressed up to the bars, clawing and biting. It was hard to think of them as anything other than people; that was what always made things so hard, maybe even why the infection spread so quickly.

Xavier covered his eyes to block out the horrendous lab lighting but the grunts of the zombies and the clangs on metal as they bit down on the bars made him flinch and slide down to a seated position. He hid his face in his knees and reached his arms over his shoulders. “God fucking dammit, Ross, you sick fuck, you did this, you did this,” he spat, the feeling of betrayal still lingering.

\----

Xavier’s eyes fluttered open, and his migraine spiked as the bright lights burned into his vision. He squinted and groaned, something cold pressed to his cheek. His eyes slowly widened, and he turned to face what he’d been leaning against; the bars of the cage. The walker inside clacked its teeth and stared right back with blank eyes that reflected nothing but hunger. Xavier shot up and stumbled back, slamming his back onto the other cage and touching his face, praying there was no cut or blood. He looked back at his hand, and there was nothing. He sighed in relief, just as he felt shaky fingers tugging at his lab coat and heard the groan of the second walker in his ear. This time he shouted and lunged himself away from the cages, his head still pounding so hard that it felt like someone was bashing his skull in with a mallet, again and again and again and what time was it? How long had he been there? That was too close, he could’ve been--

“Professor X!” The door burst open and another spike of pain nearly sent Xavier to his knees.

“JESUS!” he yelled, looking at whoever made the noise with angry, bloodshot eyes. It was Major Gray. Xavier softened, looking back down and feeling bad. Gray reached out and took Xavier’s hand in his own, using the other to steady him. “I’m sorry, Major,” Xavier sighed, keeping his grip on Gray’s hand. He felt childish and let go after a couple seconds; he was an adult, he didn’t need physical contact to validate his attraction, he could keep himself under control.

“It’s okay Professor, I see you’re on edge. I heard you yell, I came right away. Are you alright?” Gray asked, rubbing perfect, calming circles onto Xavier’s back. Xavier just shook his head and covered his eyes, horribly flustered. He never liked Gray coming into the lab, it was a distraction from important work. Tedious, infuriating work.

Maybe he did like the distraction, just a little bit.

“Do we have painkillers? Not morphine, though admittedly that would be nice. Just pills,” Xavier whispered, and Gray noticed the scientist’s body shaking.

“I think so, Professor. Is something wrong? Do you need a… well, I guess you are a doctor, but,” Gray chuckled, and Xavier flashed a quick smile back.

“I’ll be alright. Migraine, I get some pretty nasty ones,” Xavier said, nodding to Gray. “Especially when I’m, stressed out.” He looked around the lab and at the walkers in cages and then quickly back to Gray, with those piercing light eyes of his that always made Xavier feel calm.

“Well, let’s get you out of here and into a dim room, this lighting must not be helping at all,” Gray tsked and wrapped an arm around Xavier, leading him outside the lab and towards the bedrooms. “Which one’s yours?” he asked once they got there, and Xavier pointed to the room next to Jin’s. Gray held the door open for the Professor as he collapsed on his bed and hid his face in the pillow. “Um, X, which meds should I get?”

“Sumatriptan,” Xavier grumbled. He hesitated. “Imitrex is the brand name. It’s migraine medication, I believe Nick or someone found some on a supply run but I’m not sure. If not, acetaminophen or ibuprofen is fine.” He caught himself again. “Tylenol or Advil.”

“I know what acetaminophen and ibuprofen are, X,” Gray laughed, and he left the room, closing the door and plunging Xavier into darkness. The Professor turned onto his back and watched the door, waiting rather impatiently for Gray to come back. He hated the way he liked Gray, it reminded him of high school, when feelings were new and no one knew what the fuck they were doing. But dammit, he couldn’t help it.

Xavier felt his cheek again, just to be absolutely sure the walker didn’t take a bite out of him. He still felt nothing there. Something in his room creaked, and he looked through the darkness, feeling paranoid. Doubled with the sleep deprivation and the migraine, the walker incident scared the absolute shit out of him and left him thinking about what ifs. He usually wasn’t afraid of them, not anymore, but he didn’t like how vulnerable he was in that moment. He told himself he wouldn’t get that tired ever again, he knew it only led to poor performance, he had experience in that regard. But it was so tempting sometimes.

After a couple minutes of the poor Professor wallowing in his own thoughts, the door opened, and Gray was back. He had a pack of the familiar drug Xavier once had a prescription for, before the world went to shit. Xavier held out his hands and Gray tossed it. It landed on Xavier’s chest, and he took the pills out of the pack, popping one out of the seal.

“Do you need-” Gray paused when Xavier swallowed the pill dry. “Water…” He set the glass he was holding on the nightstand anyway, along with a can of peaches. “Don’t tell Ghetto.”

Xavier scoffed and sat up slowly, trying to take deep breaths. “Thank you, Major.”

“Call me Gray. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Gray hovered by the door and smiled.

Friends. Xavier wanted to slap himself for caring about one word. “Yeah, I uh, I suppose.” He brushed some hair out of his eyes and moved to take his shoes off, wanting Gray to leave but at the same time wanting him to stay? He was confusing himself. “Thanks,” he repeated, shaking his head at his own awkwardness.

“Need anything else? It’s around two in the morning, by the way. Judging by the moon,” Gray said, pointing one finger gun at Xavier and starting to leave again. Xavier’s chest tightened.

“Wait,” he stuttered, leaning forward. “Major- Gray.” He looked into Gray’s eyes for a couple moments before he asked, “Why are you up? I have no excuse for myself, sure, but why you?”

Gray’s eyes flicked downward and he messed with the doorknob, taking a deep breath. “Haven’t been able to sleep very well lately, I gotta admit,” he said. He shut the door for Xavier’s sake and sat on the corner of the bed. “I was just walking around, surveying the uhh, area, getting a midnight snack you know, when I heard you. What happened?”

Xavier’s eyes were adjusting to the dark and he saw Gray’s outline hunched over, looking down. “I fell asleep and somehow, stupidly, ended up leaning against one of the walker cages and I feel like I could’ve been bit. I’m not sure, but what if I was? And for such a stupid reason,” he rambled, tossing his shoes across the room. Gray sighed.

“Well, you weren’t. You’re okay. What ifs are no fun in these times, it’s better to just focus on the present,” he said, nodding. “But I uh, know how you feel. It sucks, I’m sorry.”

Xavier took small sips of his water. “I’m usually not like this, I just, it’s a lot of pressure. On both of us, Jin and I. To get this done quick.”

“You can’t work well with no sleep. That’s not how it works.”

“I know, that’s the weirdest part! I know it’s not good for me! And I still do it, it’s like I’m regressing back to those times when I was younger and stupid and scared, because of all of this,” Xavier scoffed and shook his head. “Everything was going so well for me. I had a good job that paid good money that I genuinely enjoyed doing. Now we’re run by a nineteen year old who admittedly is a very good leader but is way too young for all of this, the whole government’s collapsed, and one of my only friends started the fucking apocalypse!”

Gray scooted a bit closer. “That sucks. It really does. I’m sorry, I was never good with words, I uh, I’m here for you, y’know? We old dudes gotta stick together.” He patted Xavier’s leg, and Xavier could feel him smiling.

“Thank you Gray,” Xavier whispered, distracted from his headache. “You should sleep, we both should. I feel a little better, I’ll eat the peaches, drink some water.” He nodded and smiled back, even if Gray couldn’t see.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Gray asked, and Xavier scoffed.

“Don’t worry a tad about me. Go to bed.”

\----

Gray shut the door to Xavier’s room softly, letting out a deep sigh and turning around. He jumped when he saw Ghetto. “Jesus Christ,” he said, loosening his shoulders. But he remained wary. “What the hell are you doing up, Ghetto.”

“I just noticed you rummaging through the rations,” Ghetto said, his arms crossed over his chest like it was some kind of callout or intervention. He narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Xavier- the Professor, he had a migraine, I gave him some medicine and some food to go with it. Now let’s let the man sleep.” Gray pointed towards the main hall and started walking that way. Ghetto followed, grinning.

“Peaches,” he said. “You gave him peaches. I don’t like anyone taking my peaches, but I guess I could spare one can in the name of love.” He laughed and nudged Gray’s arm with his elbow. Gray shoved him.

“Shut up,” he said, but he was smiling. He kept walking; he wanted some fresh air. Ghetto still tailed after him.

“You know he likes you back, he told Jin. Indirectly. But he said it, Nick and I both think so,” Ghetto said, matching Gray’s slowly but surely accelerating pace.

“I’m a grown adult, I think I can handle my own love life, thank you. Not that- not that I love him- don’t look at me like that.” Gray stopped and pointed at Ghetto. “Don’t pry. And leave Xavier alone, while you’re at it. He’s under a lot of stress.”

Ghetto nodded, his expression softening into something more sympathetic. “I get that. Hell, the guy’s working to save me, and I don’t wanna stress him out. Or you, as a matter of fact, man. But I’m only saying that sometimes it does help to have someone beside you. Sometimes,” he said, lightly punching Gray’s shoulder. “Think about it.”

“Go to bed,” Gray ordered as Ghetto turned around and left. The younger man flashed a peace sign, and Gray slumped his shoulders and continued his walk outside.

\----

“I heard you had one of your headaches. Thought you were over that years ago,” Jin said, and Xavier shook his head.

“Guess they’re back then, that fucking sucks.” Xavier sat down in front of a computer and rubbed his temples, staring at his own reflection in the black computer screen. “We’ll see if I get one today,” he grumbled.

“Maybe you should take a break. Maybe we can trade spots in the lab, you half the time and me the other half,” Jin suggested, holding up both his hands in a balanced scale position. Xavier slouched and turned the chair to face Jin.

“I thought you didn’t like to work alone. You were always tailing me or,” Xavier trailed off, not wanting to say the name. Jin sat down next to him, tilting his head back and gazing upward.

“I had to work alone, after everything went to shit. I learned, now I can do it, and pretty well too, I’d like to think,” he said, looking back at Xavier. The Professor smiled.

“I’m proud of you, you’ve come a long way. I’m glad that… asshole didn’t brainwash you with his ideals, I know you were closer to him than to me.” He messed up Jin’s hair and stood up. “How about this. I’m going to go get a proper breakfast. You can come with me if you like, Shark really is a good cook. I think the cure can wait one more hour,” he said, holding out a hand. Jin smiled.

“I had cereal. You go. Take the whole day to hang out with-” Jin paused when Xavier gave him a look. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I know, no personal business in the lab,” he corrected himself, but he was grinning really wide and the implied person showed through his caramel gaze. Xavier rolled his eyes and turned to leave, hanging his coat up at the door. “Gray!” Jin shouted once Xavier stepped outside. Xavier flashed back a middle finger as the doors closed.

\----

Xavier made his way to the kitchen just in time to get a portion of Shark’s cooking before it was devoured by the other hungry members of their little group. Xavier sat down and ate on his own, his knee bouncing. He could already feel the migraine coming on. He felt like taking the biggest fucking nap of the century but alas, he was a scientist, and he knew Ross. Therefore he had a responsibility. It sucked.

There was a hand on his back. “Hey X,” Gray said, smiling. Xavier tried to smile back. He was picking at the last couple bites of food, moving it from one side of the plate to the other. “You okay? Feeling any better? I asked AK to pick up more migraine medicine for you on the run today.” Gray sat down next to Xavier and looked ahead, waiting for a response. Xavier opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He shut it again and ran his fingers through his hair. Gray scooted closer. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk. I just,” he remembered Ghetto’s words, “I wanna be there for you, because sometimes it helps to have someone beside you.”

Xavier turned to Gray, mouth slightly parted. “I thought you weren’t good with words, Major Gray,” he said, scoffing and patting Gray on the back. He stood up, not feeling like playing the crush game, the How Close Can I Get Without Being Suspect game. It was childish and exhausting. “Now. I should get back to the cure, no rest for the wicked.”

“Wait, Xavier, you’re going back to the lab? What about your head?” Gray stumbled after Xavier. “Xavier, wait wait wait, you sure you can work right now? You sure you should? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” He grabbed Xavier’s wrist, and Xavier wrenched himself free.

“I’m capable of taking care of myself, Gray,” Xavier hissed. Gray stopped following him for a moment, and it made Xaiver turn around. He felt awful. “Gray. I’m okay. I swear to god I am.” He stepped closer, and Gray nodded.

“Okay, I trust you. But can we please take a walk outside? Please.” Gray put his palms together in a begging motion. Xavier glanced around, sighed, and shrugged. He motioned for Gray to follow him. “Thank you,” Gray said, jogging up and putting a hand on Xavier’s back. Xavier tensed up his back, which made Gray move his hand back down.

\----

“What’s on your mind?” Gray asked, hands on his gun, just in case. Xavier shoved his hands in the pocket of the jacket Gray had spared for him. It was a windy day. “I feel like there’s something you want to talk about.”

“I’m fine, it’s really no big deal.” Xavier kicked a pebble.

“But there’s something,” Gray confirmed, and Xavier nodded. He took a deep breath.

“Fine, I’ll bite. Yes, there is. It’s fucking stressful, like I told you.” Xavier looked up at the cloudy sky and wondered if it would rain. “But it’s more than, saving the world, or whatever we’ll be able to do with this cure, if we ever get the formula down. It’s the constant reminder that Ross did this. He was a good friend of mine, you know. He was odd, but we all were, our little corner of antisocial scientists who said we hated people oh so much,” he said, and Gray listened. “I spent years with him and I could never figure him out. He was always five steps ahead of us. And he still is, and he always will be. And yet we work. We work because god dammit maybe we can pull through and be ahead of him for once, because this time the world depends on it.”

Gray looked downward. “If I may say something, Professor.” He looked back up and locked eyes with Xavier, who nodded. “I think you’re doubting yourself,” Gray said, and they both stopped walking and turned to each other. Xavier stared. “I think that you’re doubting your ability and it’s making you stressed out and have migraines and shit. I don’t think you need to be better than Ross. I know I’m no genius, but I know you are. And I know that you and Jin together? You’ll always be better than Ross. Because not only are you smart but you also have compassion, and I think that’s what’s most important in these kinds of things.” Gray’s face flushed and he avoided eye contact. “Sorry, I feel like I don’t make any sense, I’m just trying to say-”

“Can I kiss you?” Xavier asked, his eyes wide. Gray stuttered and stood still.

“What?” His gray eyes surveyed the area. He pointed to himself and mouthed, ‘Me?’

“You,” Xavier laughed, stepping closer. “Can I kiss you Gray?”

Gray slowly moved his gun to his back, still looking very confused. “Xavier, are you alright?” he asked, putting a hand on Xavier’s shoulder. Xavier nodded.

“I think this is the first time I’ve really been alright,” he said. “You’re really sweet, Gray. And I’m sorry if I made you chase me around in circles, I just, I thought you were a distraction. But you’re not. Hell, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I was too stupid to see it. Now, can I kiss you? Enough being childish and chasing crushes.”

Gray blinked a couple times. “I… You want to kiss me,” he said. He looked down, then up, then finally, right into Xavier’s deep blue eyes. “I mean. Yeah.” Gray smiled. Xavier smiled back. They both leaned in and kissed. Gray pulled away after about a second and a half and said, “You sure?”

Xavier gave Gray a look, tilting his head and squinting, his mouth parted. “Right,” Gray whispered, and he went back in for another kiss, holding Xavier’s hands tightly in his own. After a couple seconds they broke the kiss and hugged, Xavier’s arms around Gray’s shoulders and Gray’s arms at Xavier’s waist. “I’m sorry,” Gray said.

“Don’t be sorry, now,” Xavier said. He hid his face in Gray’s shoulder. “Just be happy, about this.”

“I know. I’m sorry for the future moments when you talk to me about science stuff and I don’t understand a single bit of it. Super sorry.” They both laughed and Xavier hit the back of Gray’s head, telling him not to think that way.

Across the courtyard in the sniper tower, Shark, Nick, and Ghetto were battling for the binoculars. AK stepped back and lifted the sniper, peering through the scope. “They’re kissing again,” he said, and Nick shouted.

“I wanna see!” He picked up another sniper and looked at the new couple as they kissed and laughed and kissed some more. “They’re so fucking cute.”

The four of them saw Gray and Xavier turning towards them. Gray pointed. AK dropped the gun and dove, and the other three followed. “AK you dumbass,” Shark hissed. “You pointed a gun at a Major in the marines and like, a top Professor or something. If they think we want to kill them I’m so throwing you under the bus.”

“They do not,” AK huffed. “And ohhh sorry for wanting to see one of my first friends since the apocalypse get a boyfriend and be all happy or whatever. Nick was the one who ruined it. Two guns is more suspicious.”

“Hey!” Nick pouted.

“Guys! What’s going on up there?”

Shark poked his head up to see Gray and Xavier holding hands. Gray put his free hand on his hip. “Nothing major, Major!” Shark tried to laugh. He shot Gray a finger gun. AK held his face in his hands and groaned. “What’s going on down there?”

“We were trying to have a private moment, you four,” Gray said. The rest of them showed themselves. Nick held his hands up. “Would there be more or less poking and prodding if we went somewhere more private?”

“Probably more, sir, if I’m being completely honest,” AK said. Gray nodded, and Xavier snorted.

“Is that so?”

“Leave them alone, Gray.” Xavier lightly hit Gray on the stomach with the back of his hand. “It means they love you,” the Professor said, and Gray backed off.

“Don’t cause trouble.”

“Never, Major!” AK saluted. Gray saluted back.

Gray and Xavier walked back towards the main doors, their intertwined hands swinging softly as they walked.

\----

“How’s your head?” Gray brushed some hair out of Xavier’s eyes. They were in Xavier’s room, laying in bed. Gray was on his side, gazing at Xavier with an affectionate gaze that made the Professor equally flattered and uncomfortable.

“It’s okay. Why are you doing that,” Xavier said, looking away from the gaze. Gray tilted his head and laughed.

“Why am I doing what? Looking at you?” he asked, inching his face closer. Xavier made a noise and pushed his boyfriend’s face away. “Hey! Xavier, Xavier.” Gray’s voice got serious, and he looked into Xavier’s eyes. “You’re very handsome, and I want to look at you. I’m not allowed to look at my handsome boyfriend? Huh?”

“Nooo.” Xavier rolled over and hid his face in his pillow. Gray wrapped an arm around him and held him close. “Thank you Gray. You’re handsome too,” Xavier mumbled after a couple moments, his voice muffled. Gray giggled and pulled the sheets over them both.

“Thank you. Now take a nap.”

Xavier grunted. But after a couple calming moments in Gray’s arms, he fell asleep. Gray smiled softly, and he got out of bed, careful not to wake the Professor. He slowly opened the door, and all of a sudden he saw the four eavesdroppers, plus Jin this time, scurrying away, scattering in different directions like the mice in the kitchen in fucking Ratatouille. Gray let out a deep sigh as he shut the door.

Jin stopped, and looked back. He and Gray shared a glance, and then Jin ran over and hugged Gray. The Major gasped and barely had time to hug back before Jin backed off and disappeared around the corner.


End file.
